Hart Stars As Eagles Win Tournament

Lake sports - Athlete of the Week

South Lake's Jenny Hart Led The Way With Her Hitting And Blocking At Mount Dora Bible.

October 10, 2000|By Joe Williams of The Sentinel Staff

GROVELAND -- Just two years ago, Jenny Hart was setting the stage for South Lake's future big hitters on the junior varsity volleyball team.

Now, it is Hart who is the big hitter.

Hart, a 5-foot-11 junior, was one of the Eagles' stars last week in a regular-season match victory over Tavares. Then her play around the net, both as a blocker and hitter, helped lead the Eagles to a somewhat unexpected championship Saturday at the Mount Dora Bible Volleyball Tournament.

Along the way, the Eagles (12-6 entering Monday night's game at Kissimmee Osceola) picked up a couple of confidence-building victories heading into this week one of the most pivotal weeks of the season.

South Lake, including the Monday game with Osceola, plays four Class 5A, District 7 matches in a highly unusual week. Though the Florida High School Activities Association only allows three matches in a week, Kissimmee Poinciana will play a double-header at South Lake because a match at Poinciana earlier this season had to be postponed when no officials showed.

"She [Hart] has really improved with every match,'' South Lake Coach Mary McCann said of Hart, the Lake Sentinel's athlete of the week. "I have been trying to get her to be a real threat at the net. We have been working on her approach for hitting trying to get it to be more consistent. She is improving with both her hitting and blocking.''

Perhaps one of her best matches of the season came against Tavares when she had 13 kills, including eight in the decisive third game of a 15-6, 1-15, 15-7 victory.

Hart started playing volleyball when her older sister, who was in middle school at the time, started playing. She played junior varsity as a freshman and sophomore, but made some dramatic improvements while playing on the 16-and-under Lake County Juniors Volleyball Club team.

"During club ball, I really began to develop hitting-wise,'' Hart said. "I think the practice and good coaching on the club team really helped me develop my skills more. I am very satisfied with how I have been playing. The hardest thing I have had to learn so far would be the timing on my approach.''

Hart is somewhat of a newcomer to the hitting and blocking game.

As a freshman, she was one of her team's setters.

"I think in ninth grade, the coaching was different,'' Hart said. "We didn't have many setters. In fact, I was one of two people on the team who could set, so they made me a setter. I don't do any setting now.''

However, Hart's days of playing that position may have helped her develop an overall game.

McCann never has to worry about substituting Hart during her rotation. She is a solid server and can also play on the back row.

Her play on the back row was obvious during the tournament.

"Defensively, she dug the ball very well,'' McCann said. "I don't have to worry about substituting for her when she is rotating to the back row. I know she will play well back there. Sometimes big girls have a problem back there, but not Jenny. Defensively, she is playing very well. She has been serving well and, overall, she is really coming along. Her whole game just has been very consistent.

"She was a real threat this weekend.''

South Lake picked up a couple of huge victories in the tournament huge because of whom they beat and how they played. Among the Eagles' victories was a 15-11, 12-15, 15-13 victory in pool play over Mount Dora, which entered the tournament unbeaten before losing to St. Petersburg Northside Christian earlier in pool play.

Northside Christian also beat South Lake in pool play, winning a three-game match 8-15, 15-7, 15-13, but losing to the Eagles in the final, 15-9, 15-4.

"I think it is a big lift to our confidence,'' McCann said. "I think this whole tournament has boosted our confidence. We played in a tough pool. The girls came together and played pretty well as a team.

"I think we are capitalizing on some of our strengths right now. I am pleased with our team's play and I think we are peaking at the right time.''

OTHER NOMINEES

VOLLEYBALL: Hart's teammate, senior hitter kristin peters, also turned in a solid performance during the tournament.